By IvyLee Rosario
Becoming a flea market or swap meet vendor is a great way to join a community and start your own business, but it doesn’t come without its own challenges. In order to be successful at your local market, you will need to take into account your location, what products you want to sell and how to market your new business. Although there may be some bumps along the way, any vendor can reach success as long as you are willing put in the necessary work. If you are interested in joining the flea market industry, here is some advice from successful vendors who have made the experience work for them.
Kathy Troy of Kathy’s Haven has been a vendor since 1985, and although she did not start out looking to become a vendor, the opportunity found her instead. “We had just recently moved from New Jersey to Florida and a friend of mine introduced me to chains by the inch jewelry, and I became a vendor that very day. I saw that this was something that people were making a good living off of and it looked like a great experience to join.”
Kathy’s Haven specializes in chains by the inch, pendants, charms, oil of eucalyptus, tea tree oil, and teflon polymer sealant (TPS), which is a special sealant that protects the paint on a car. Now with a permanent location at the Oldsmar Flea Market in Oldsmar, FL, Troy has also sold her products at the Red Barn Flea Market in Bradenton, FL, the USA Flea Market in Hudson, FL, in addition to bluegrass festivals all over the South. “At one point I bought a motorhome and traveled for a solid year, so I was able to meet people from all over the country,” says Troy.
Troy notes that although you do want to stay up to date with your merchandise, vendors shouldn’t go overboard with what their booth offers. “You can buy a lot of merchandise and stick it in your booth and then not all of it will sell. Start small, find out what people like and work with that depending on your area.”
Whether the opportunity falls into your lap like it did for Troy or you go out planning to be a vendor, the steps towards success are still the same. Stan Shevitz, a former long-time flea market vendor, says that in order to do well at the markets, people to need to figure out what merchandise shoppers in the area are looking for, but most importantly, if you are a vendor you need the right personality for the job. “It might take a few months to really get into the swing of things, but if the vendor listens to customers and does their research on what buyers in the area are looking for, then there is no reason why they shouldn’t do well,” Shevitz adds.
Personality also plays a tremendous role in success at a market, because in dealing with people all day, vendors need to be patient and willing to work with customers. Shevitz explains that one of the biggest differences between when he was a vendor, in the late ’80s and ’90s to now, is many vendors are not willing to budge on prices. “Back in the day a flea market was known as a place of negotiation and working with your buyers, because at the end of the day you wanted to sell things. Nowadays people are less willing to change their prices.” Shevitz notes that one key to success is flexibility – being willing to bargain is part of the charm of a flea market.
Although the main goal at the end of the day is to run your vendor business profitably, making potential customers excited to be at your booth and happy with your service will do you more good in the long run, through positive word of mouth. “The biggest factor is realizing it’s a flea market, not a department store,” adds Shevitz.
In addition to allowing for flexible pricing, remembering to be patient is sometimes a saving grace out in the marketplace. “You have to know there are no set goals for anything when working a flea market,” says Troy. “People come to the market and they could be looking for anything. It is your job to prove to them that what you have is what the customer needs and that takes patience.”
In the end, every vendor’s success story will be different, but it is the experience you have along the way and the interactions you share with customers and fellow vendors that will make the most impact on your business. So remember these tips when starting out and soon your flea market experience will be your own success story!
• Research products to fit your booth based on your location and customer needs
• Be flexible with pricing
• Have the right attitude to welcome your buyers
• Be patient and be positive